


The Starry Abyss

by A_sillyGermaninLatin_Class



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: A Lot of Death, Alternate Universe - Space, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, a town gets burned down
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-02
Updated: 2020-05-31
Packaged: 2020-10-05 07:49:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,593
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20485403
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/A_sillyGermaninLatin_Class/pseuds/A_sillyGermaninLatin_Class
Summary: Alfred and Matthew are farmers in a small town in the prairies of Oblaye. They live an average life with average people. Until they don't.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So I know I'm supposed to be working on other stuff, but you know what, that's ok. We've got this now. And I'm excited for it!

The wind blew across the grass, creating ripples and waves like the ocean. It flowed on, touching every nook and cranny with its cool touch. Nothing could escape these squalls, for they were everywhere. It blew constantly, going one way then another, swirling and caressing and destroying. It knew everything. On the planet of Oblaye the wind was worshiped as a god. Each settlement had a shrine in its center for the wind. In the gray pre-dawn before morning, the breeze was light, gentle, and cold.

“Alfred. Alfred wake up,” a gentle voice came through the thick fog of sleep.

Alfred turned over, burrowing into his blankets, and groaned.

“Alfred,” the voice was tinged with exasperation, “Get up. We have chores to do.”

“Noo Mattie, lemme sleep,” Alfred mumbled.

“Nope. Time to wake up sleepy head!” said Mattie cheerfully as he pulled the blankets off Alfred.

Alfred curled up in a vain attempt to keep warm as Mattie threw a pair of khaki pants and a long sleeved tan cotton shirt at him. Slowly, Alfred pulled on the clothes and fell out of bed.

He stumbled out toward the door, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. Mattie was waiting for him in the kitchen, and they walked to the barn. Together they took care of the two ponies, gathered the eggs from the five chickens, and milked the goat. The eggs and milk would become breakfast shortly.

After a quick look around the house to make sure that everything was in functioning order, and nothing had broken since they fell asleep, the two brothers headed back inside.

Nathanael was already awake and stoking the fire when they got back.

“Ah, good. Everything is in order, I trust?”

“Yep!” smiled Alfred, “It’s all good. You worry too much Pop.”

“This is our livelihood, when I return to the great spirit, I need to trust you boys to continue the farm.”

“Don’t worry Papa. We can take care of the farm,” replied Matthew soothingly.

Nathanael smiled gently, “Thank you boys. You don’t know how glad I was to get you all those years ago. Ah, but don’t let me ramble, let’s have breakfast!”

After a simple breakfast of eggs, cheese, and some vegetables, the three of them went out to the fields. Nathanael grew wheat and oats, like most of the other farmers in the area. It was a simple life, and there was little room for excess, but it was their life. Matthew and Alfred went together through their chores, while Nathanael looked on. Of the two of them, Alfred was more suited for the work. He was brawnier, and had a way with plants. In fact, many of the neighboring farmers would ask him for help if they felt their crop was suffering. And Alfred would always be able to tell them what was wrong. Because of this Alfred was relatively popular in town. Matthew didn’t stand out as much, so people tended to overlook him. But this was fine in his opinion. If people didn’t notice him he could get away with a lot more. Especially if Alfred did the talking up front.

Both boys were very curious about everything, and had a rather unfortunate habit of getting into trouble. The town women said it was because they were raised without a mother, since Nathanael was a bachelor. The town men said it was because the brothers didn’t work hard enough. They had been working on Nethanael’s farm since they could walk. The town drunk, Matthias, said they were impudent rascals undeserving of his guidance and support. All he had done was drink and yell at people (and cry late at night, but no one knew about that).

Most of their trouble was theft. They had an insatiable taste for adventure, and an addiction to thrill. Matthew was the more sensible twin, yet he was most often in the thick of things. It was especially exciting when the traders arrived. They always had the most interesting stuff.

Traders came in the Summer and Winter to trade for the grains. This was how the town, Tappahannock, survived. Anything that they were unable to get for themselves came from the traders. Their grains were traded for things like cotton, fabric, metal items, salt, and live stock. The traders traveled long distances across the endless prairies to connect settlements. Their caravans were iconic, with tented conestoga wagons and long mule trains. Most of their goods were necessary items that they knew they would make a profit on. But sometimes they had interesting items. A gem from a different planet, or a book of some kind. These were the things that Alfred and Matthew stole. No one ever seemed to care that much, and Nathanael never told them to stop.

The traders weren’t due for another month or two, however, so the twins meandered into town after they finished with the day’s work. Alfred was almost immediately drawn away by two farmers so Matthew continued to the Shrine of the Spirit alone. He had always felt drawn to the Shrine for some reason.

It was a beautiful feat of architecture and design. Where the rest of the town was made of thatch and earth, dark and squat against the elements, the shrine was made of pale stone. It was a tall spire of arches and somehow collected the wind to spiral down the middle onto the altar. The altar was also of smooth white marble, decorated with gems and glass, and bedecked with gifts for the Great Spirit. It was the one place that Alfred and Matthew hadn’t stolen from. It was sacred. It was powerful.

Matthew knelt down at the altar and let the wind rush over him. _ Great Spirit. Thank you for what we have received. Hail to you, who gives us life. Who guides the souls and balances the world. May the four corners of the world bless your name. Grace me now with wisdom and may all hold you holy. Naomh. _ Having finished his prayer, Matthew stood and walked to the tavern.

The tavern was the only two story building in town, though still shorter than the altar. It was short and squat, the inside was smokey and dark. But it was the gathering point of the whole town. Everyone went there at some point, and the odd traveler could stay in one of the rooms on the second floor. In the main room there was a large fireplace for cooking food and keeping the building warm. It stood off to the left of the front door. The rest of the room was filled with long tables for people to sit and eat at. Against the opposite wall to the fireplace was a bar, where the drinks were served. There were a few stools here as well, for those who only came for a drink. The very last stool was reserved for Matthias.

Matthias was a tall man, pallid and gangly. Very different than the general populous of Tappahannock, who were shorter and dark haired. Matthew supposed that was why he and Alfred were drawn to him, despite his near constant drunkenness. They too were taller than average and had blond hair. Today, like every day, Matthias was slouched over the bar weakly holding a tankard half full of lukewarm beer. His shirt, the same style of shirt that everyone here wore, was stained with spilled alcohol and food, and a little vomit. Evidence that he had been here for a while.

Matthew sat down a few stools away and ordered two whiskeys. One for him, and one for Alfred. Soon Alfred came in as well and sat down next to him.

“Well,” asked Matthew, “what did they want?”

“Hmm? Oh, they just wanted to make sure that their fields were going to be ok.”

“And are they?”

“Sure. There were no blights this year, the weather’s been very good.”

Next to them, Matthias groaned weakly, “Stop talking. The doldrums, the _ doldrums _. Oh god--” he turned to the side and retched onto the floor.

Matthew reached over and rubbed his back while Alfred took the beer. After giving it a whiff he frowned and poured it out onto the floor. He handed the empty tankard back to Matthias, who tried to drink from it, and, finding it empty, simply laid his head down on the counter.

Mattie and Alfred kept talking while they drank their whiskey. When other people came in, they’d give a greeting and talk with them a little bit. This way they knew all of the goings on in town, and kept up with the other townspeople. 

Eventually it came time for them to return to Nathanael and help put the farm to bed. They followed a reverse of their morning schedule, making sure nothing catastrophic had happened to the fields, and putting the live stock in the barn. After they finished they ate dinner with Nathanael and went to bed.

The next morning the cycle repeated itself. And the morning after that, and on and on, days turned into weeks turned into months, and it was harvest season.

Harvest season was a very busy time. The fields had slowly gone from green to gold, and were now heavy with ripe grain. Nathanael, Alfred, and Matthew spent the evenings sharpening scythes and repairing tools.

Once all of the tools were in order the three of them spent the next few weeks harvesting and processing all of the year’s crops. First they cut and gathered the grain. Once that was finished they separated the kernels from the chaff and put it all into large sacks. This was done for both the wheat and the barley. They kept most of the chaff and grain for themselves for the next year, but set aside some bags of wheat and barley, and bales of chaff for the traders. Then they took inventory of other goods that they needed, like thread, fabric, and tools.

A week after they finished everything the traders arrived.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow so this took forever.
> 
> I hope you guys like it and it was worth the wait
> 
> a thanks to HelloJames and Croquet Grandma and Lexi UWU for helping edit!

The traders were first seen as a hazy dust cloud on the horizon. Soon, however, the wagons took shape as they trundled along the dusty road into Tappahannock. There were about 30 wagons and about 200 heads of cattle in the wagon train. The traders set their wagons in a circle outside of town in an unused field, and put their cattle to pasture. Then they took their goods to the village green and set up their booths and stalls to display their wares.

It was organized chaos. The stalls were packed close together, with fabrics, tools, livestock, and spices all competing for the attention of the townsfolk. The traders shouted out their wares and prices and haggled loudly with their customers. The pathways were clogged with people rushing to and fro, trying to find the best price on what they needed. Everyone who lived anywhere near Tappahannock was there. Young children ran shrieking underfoot while their mothers haggled for the price. Bright colors and smells had exploded over the normally drab town.

Nathanael hitched up the ponies to the cart as soon as the traders were seen, and carefully loaded all of his surplus grain and chaff in. Alfred and Matthew helped him, but as soon as the cart was loaded they sprinted towards the town. This was their own special tradition, to race each other to the market.

By the time they arrived everything was in full swing. The village green had reached a crescendo of sights and sounds and smells, and people were merrily partaking in trade. 

Alfred and Matthew immediately merged into the crowd, wandering around looking at the different wares for sale. They noted where the needed items were, in case Nathanael couldn’t find them, and also the smaller stalls that had more niche items that were less likely to be bought. There were quite a few art pieces and charms being sold on the side. Alfred nudged Matthew by a booth selling dreamcatchers before walking over to the woman who was sitting there.

As Alfred engaged the woman in a conversation about her wares, Mattie slipped around to the side. Quietly he pocketed a few of the dreamcatchers and a small bag of something. (They’d go over their spoils later.) He moved to stand back with Alfred and listened quietly to the end of the conversation. Soon, Alfred apologized for not buying anything and walked away. Matthew followed after him, and they continued on through the bazaar.

After swindling their way through a few other stalls they came to a decently sized crowd in the back surrounding a small stand. After wriggling their way through the crowd, Alfred and Mattie got to the front and saw what all the fuss was about. The stall had a myriad of outlandish items on it. Strange metal contraptions and oddly colored and shaped gems for the most part, though there were a few books marked with a strange alphabet.

The ancient woman who was selling everything looked at them and smiled. “Come closer, come closer! I bring wares from far off planets. From Silroth, Zeoboth, even Heillfold. Everything I sell has a story. Here son,” she addressed Mattie, “Pick something.”

Hesitatingly, he reached forward. His hands wavered between some gems and a leather book with gold embossing that looked valuable. He could feel everyone’s eyes on him and wished he could disappear, but finally touched one of the gems. It was pale white, round, and small. It felt a little warm to touch and his arm started to tingle.

“Ah, that,” the woman smiled, “Now that is a special item. It came from Heillfold, the planet of the Sages. It was supposedly used by the Sages to channel the air affinity. It is a rare variant of quartz that is found only in very few places and happens to be incredibly difficult to mine. The Kingdom of Strength, along with the Kingdom of Peace, destroyed most of these gems right after Shadowfall. This is the only one of its kind left! Truly a rarity.”

The other townsfolk murmured amongst themselves in interest. It was, after all, an interesting story.

“Wait,” inquired one of the bystanders, “If the Kingdom’s destroyed all of its kin, won’t they want this one too?”

“Oh yes. Everyone who knows about it wants it. It is a very powerful symbol. Stolen right from the heart of Heillfold!”

“Then what’s to stop the Kingdoms from coming here? We’ve all heard of their cruelty. We don’t want them to come here and massacre us. And even-- How are you even  _ alive _ ?”

The woman began to defend herself, but the rest of the people began to frown in distrust and turn away. Alfred followed them, but Mattie hesitated, watching the woman. She carefully put the gem in a small bag and left it beside the book he had been eyeing before. As he turned to follow his brother he swore he saw her smile at him.

Some time later, Matthew broke away from Alfred and went by the stand alone. It was empty, the only things remaining were the small bag with the gem and the book. Almost instinctively he took the bag and replaced it with the small bag from the dreamcatcher's stand. They were different colors, but with any luck, no one would notice until it was too late.

After he rejoined with Alfred, they spent the rest of the day avoiding that stand. It was no good to get involved with the Kingdoms, especially if you valued your life. Matthew knew this. Nathanael talked to them briefly around noon to make sure that they weren’t up to too much trouble, before heading back to the farm to sort through what he had bought. After he left, the two of them went to the tavern to get a meal and a drink. Matthias was in his usual spot slumped over a pint of beer.

As the twins set down to eat their meal he groaned slightly, “Ugh. I need another drink.” As he looked around blearily he noticed the two of them watching him.

“Hey Matthias!” smiled Alfred cheerfully, “You’re looking awfully sober right now.”

“Yes. That’s why I need another drink. Also to cure this killer headache.”

Alfred laughed, “Eh, I’ll imagine.”

“So long as that’s all you do Alfred,” piped in Matthew.

The three of them quieted down a bit and Matthias got another beer. After taking a long gulp of the amber liquid, he spoke, “So. Anything interesting at the market?”

Alfred smiled and began to tell the tale of that day's conquests. Matthias smiled along with him, giving out slurred pointers and comments at the appropriate moments. His whole demeanor changed, however, when Alfred told him about the old woman in the back of the market, and the strange gem she talked about.

“A pale white gem you said?” He sounded almost needy. “Describe it again.”

Alfred looked at Matthias curiously, before conceding, “Sure. So it was this smallish gem, about the size of your first thumb joint. Teardrop shaped. It was pale white but opaque. Nothing too spectacular.”

Matthias had slowly gone pale as Alfred described it, and by the time he’d finished, he looked about ready to faint.

“Are you alright Matthias?” Asked Alfred in concern. “You look awfully pale. Would you like another drink?”

“No, no, I’ll be fine.” Murmured Matthias. “Show me to the booth, please.”

“Are you sure you don’t want another beer?” cajoled Alfred, desperate to get Matthias back to normal.

“NO!”

Alfred and Matthew flinched back at his shout.

“Sorry, just, please. I need to see it.”

Matthew looked on in pity. Perhaps he should tell him about the bag in his pocket. But...he felt oddly protective of it, it was  _ his _ now, no one else’s. And yet, Matthias looked so  _ broken _ then, so shattered. His whole body was slumped, from the alcohol and this apparent grief.

“Alright,” sighed Matthew, “Let’s go then.”

The three of them stood up and Alfred grabbed a hunk of bread to take with him. As they made their way back through the market, both twins could see how unsteady Matthias was. He stumbled and tripped over nothing, and swayed as he walked.

When they arrived in the back, the woman was still gone, but this time the table was completely empty. All that was left was that small table. Alfred rushed forward as if that could make her come back.

“She was here, I swear!” Cried Alfred, looking around in circles.

Matthew stood off to the side, oddly devastated that the woman hadn’t returned.

None of this, however, could compare to Matthias’ reaction. He stood stock still, watching the table. Slowly a look of rage and disgust overtook him, his mouth curled into an ugly, angry snarl. With an almost animalistic scream, he lunged at the table and proceeded to completely destroy it. After that table was demolished, he took one of the splintered boards and lunged at the stall to the left, scattering all of the wares.

The townsfolk, who had begun to shout when he attacked the first table, began screaming in earnest. Mothers frantically sought their children and fled to safer areas. The trader grabbed his weapon, a short sword, and moved to attack Matthias. Matthias shifted to engage the trader and swung at him with his board, before being dragged backwards by both Alfred and Matthew.

Frantically, the two of them dragged Matthias through the market and out of town. Some of the traders followed them half-heartedly, but as long as they didn’t destroy anything they were let through with minimal resistance. They finally stopped to breathe behind a low fence along one of the outlying fields.

Gasping for breath, Alfred began to question Matthias. “What  _ was _ that dude?! You could have gotten  _ killed _ for fucks sake! God damn it, what were you  _ thinking _ !!!”

“I needed to see it!” Matthias shouted in response, his voice oddly clear, “One last time. I need to know that something remains, that there is still some  _ cruel _ hope in the world, that maybe I’m not--” he broke into violent sobs.

Matthew watched from the side, his breath choking him and tears blurring his vision. He fiddled with his sleeves briefly, before his hands drifted almost instinctively to the gem in his pocket. Alfred was busy trying to get Matthias to calm down, before looking hopelessly at Mattie.

He was about to speak when he noticed what Matthew was doing.

“Mattie,” he said carefully, “What do you have in your pocket?”

“What?”

“Usually you fiddle with your sleeves when you’re nervous, not with your pocket. What’s in your pocket?”

“Umm. So I  _ may _ have gone past the table beforehand. And, umm, I may have  _ taken _ that gem?” Mattie got quieter and quieter as he spoke, but Alfred still heard him.

“You  _ TOOK _ it?! Are you  _ crazy _ ?!”

“I don’t know! Maybe I am! So what?”

“So you took it. Fine!” He sighed in exasperation, “You couldn’t’ve,  _ I don’t know _ , told us  _ before _ Matthias went on his rampage! Then maybe we wouldn’t have the whole town after our hides!”

“NO!” Matthew shouted, before seeming to collapse slightly. In a quieter voice, he continued, “I don’t know why I didn’t say anything, Alfie. Honest. I guess… I guess I just felt sort of protective of it in a way. I don’t know”

While they were arguing, Matthias was struggling to get himself under control again. His breath still came in choking gasps, and tears still fell down his face, but he was able to speak now.

“Matthew.” Matthew met his tear streaked face with his wet eyes, “Please. I know you don’t want to. But please, can I see this gem?”

“Sure Matthias.” sighed Matthew pity dispelling any hesitation from his mind.

Carefully he withdrew the small bag from his pocket. Matthias’ eyes never left his hands, following them like a bloodhound follows the scent. Slowly, Matthew tipped the bag over his left palm. The gem fell out and landed on his hand with a sense of finality.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> well, I hope you liked this!
> 
> comments and kudos are always appreciated, feedback is great :)
> 
> hey and maybe i'll update more frequently than once a month, who knows?


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow, that was quick!
> 
> I suppose wanting to procrastinate on everything gives you a lot of inspiration :)
> 
> Anyways, I hope you enjoy! A huge thank you to everyone who helped look over this chapter, and who left comments on the previous chapters, they are greatly appreciated.
> 
> Without further ado, enjoy the next chapter!

Matthias looked at the gem, blinked, rubbed his eyes, and stared at Mattie’s hand in shock. “I didn’t think they still existed. By Tyr’s ax! And all the way out here!”

Alfred looked at him in confusion. “But what _ is _ it? Was the woman right?”

“It’s a Fróðleikr Steinn.” Matthias’ voice was soft with reverence. “The Sages used them to channel their affinities better.”

Mattie heard all this, but his focus was on the small gem in his hand. It glittered in the light and tingled up his arm. The wind seemed to pick up, swirling around him and into his soul. Alfred and Matthias were still talking, but it seemed so distant. The tingling had gotten stronger, it felt like pinpricks all over his body. And the wind! How did they not notice? Everything suddenly seemed hollow and tinny and distant.

_ “Mattie? …. Mattie! Hey! MATTIE!!” _

Slowly, he looked up at Alfred and Matthias’ worried faces. Then everything went black.

\------------------

When Mattie came to again, he was laying in his bed at home. Slowly, without opening his eyes, he took a deep breath; he felt odd, like his whole life he’d been numb or half asleep but he had finally become alert. He could feel every puff of wind, as it eddied through the crack in the window frame and under the door. After about a minute just listening and feeling he slowly opened his eyes. The room was empty. The gem was gone.

He quickly made his way to the kitchen table. Someone was bound to be there. Two people were, in fact. Nathanael and Matthias sat looking at each other across the table. There was one glass of beer on the table, set before Nathanael. He was frowning, the creases in his forehead deep grooves of age and worry.

“Ahem,” coughed Mattie, “What’s the matter?”

Matthias and Nathanael shared a look before Nathanael stood up and hugged him. “Oh, son, I’m so glad you’re alright.”

“I’m fine, Dad. What happened?” 

Nathanael looked again at Matthias. “I think, it would be best if Matthias explained,” he said hesitatingly.

Matthew looked up to Matthias. He was avoiding everyone’s gaze, staring fixedly at the table.

“What do you mean?”

“Mattie, I love you as a father, I always have. Ever since I found you left all those years ago. But I am no more than a simple farmer. I remember, of course, the Shadowfall. But it never did affect us here that much. Oblaye has never been that important. I’m sure you’ve known this? They had a purge,” he hesitated, looking to Matthias for confirmation to keep talking. Matthias nodded, watching Mattie’s reaction. “The Kingdoms: Peace, Freedom, and Strength. They had a purge here when I was about 15 summers. 5 years before you came to be here.”

“A purge?”

“Yes. Of the affinities and those who protested. Not many people here have affinities, but they did murder the priest and many of the influential families.” he sighed quietly, “We have kept the traditions, but those who remember live in fear of the kingdoms coming back to slaughter us.” Nathanael stopped, frowning toward the ground. Slowly he continued, “Some communities were completely destroyed: their temples razed and earth salted. We were lucky to be allowed to keep our livelihoods.”

“But what does all of that have to do with me? I don’t like the kingdoms, but I’ve never actively done anything _ against _ them! I wouldn’t want to bring that destruction back!”

Nathanael smiled gently. “Your brother is on the roof looking at the stars. He deserves to know too.”

Before Mattie could say anything else, Matthias took him roughly by the shoulder and led him outside to the ladder that leaned against the east side of the house. It was night out, the stars bright and cheerful and the moon heavy in the sky. Carefully the two of them made their way up the roof and over to where Alfred lay, staring contemplatively at the sky. Matthew was pushed down so they were sitting next to each other as Matthias stood imperialistically across from them.

“So,” began Matthias, “I’m sure you all have questions.”

Alfred looked at him, frowning. “Yes actually. What’s wrong with Mattie? Why are the Fr-Frod- stone things, why is it here? What does it actually do? What’s an affinity? How -- ”

“Enough.” Matthias’ voice was quiet, but Alfred still stopped talking. “To answer your questions, Mattie has an affinity, an air affinity, if I’m not mistaken. And I hope I’m not, it’d be rather embarrassing if I were. The Fróðleikr Steinn are gems that are somehow infused with the power of their respective affinities, in this case, air. Why it’s here, my guess is because nothing happens here, we are very far from where the Kingdoms are at their strongest. If you want to hide something you do so here. The stones help channel affinities. At least, that’s how it was with the Sages. With Mattie, I’m not completely sure. An affinity is someone’s natural connection to a certain element: Earth, Air, Water, Fire, Light, or Dark. Not everyone has them, and those that do don’t all have the same amount of power.”

“So why did Mattie black out then?”

“I don’t know.”

“Where did the gem go?” asked Mattie quietly.

“I have it,” said Matthias, “I was making a chain for it before you woke up.”

Mattie held out his hand, “May I have it. Please.”

Wordlessly Matthias reached into his pocket and pulled out the gem, now attached to a leather cord like a pendant. Carefully Mattie slipped it over his head, where it settled neatly into the hollow of his neck.

Matthias looked at Mattie inscrutably for a few seconds. “In any case, Mattie, you are in danger now. The Kingdoms will kill for you because you represent a threat to their power. I’m going to do my best to teach you about your affinity and how to control it. Hopefully they won’t find you.”

Mattie paled in fear and Alfred shifted closer, quietly offering support.

“Teach me too,” he said suddenly, lifting his chin. 

“Alfred--”

“No, Matthias. You’re our friend, but Mattie’s my brother. My twin. I’m going to stand with him if it kills me.”

“But you don’t have an affinity.”

“That’s fine. I’m still going to learn.”

“Alright.” sighed Matthias. “Now go to sleep. I’ll see you in the morning.”

That said, he turned and dropped off the side of the roof. A few seconds later the twins saw him walking back toward town through the deep dark night.

\------------------

“Hey Mattie.”

“Yes Alfred?”

“The stars are real pretty tonight, aren’t they? They look like they always have.”

“Yes Alfred.”

“... You know that book you wanted to pick up at that ill-fated table?”

“Mhm. What about it?”

“Don’t you wanna know what’s inside?”

“It’s in a strange alphabet. What makes you think you could read it?”

“Not me. Matthias. He’s so knowledgeable about these things that I don’t think anyone else here would know. I bet he knows what’s in the book.”

“He also said to go to bed.”

“Yeah. But the traders are only gonna be here one more night. And who knows what tomorrow will bring. Let’s go tonight, while the stars are still in the sky.”

“I really don’t want to make the Kingdoms more mad than they already are at me. Let’s just go to bed Alfred. The stars will be here tomorrow.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> well this took a while. I hope you enjoy it :)
> 
> brief warning, the ending is pretty gruesome. so if you aren't comfortable with death and destruction....yeah
> 
> still, i hope you like this chapter :)

“What is this?!”

Matthias was mad. No, beyond that. He was irate. He had come by that morning to collect Matthew. That wasn’t the problem; Matthew was awake eating a small breakfast when he knocked on the door. No, the problem was Alfred. He had tagged along as he’d promised, but he had also brought along the book. He’d stolen it last night, slipping quietly past the guards around the trader’s camp and finding the woman’s trunk of goods. As Matthias was leading them away from town to find a secluded space to practice, he’d brought it out of the bag he was carrying and shown Matthias. Matthias had taken one look at it, before somehow exploding and imploding with rage at the same time.

“I don’t know!” shouted Alfred, “I just figured it might be important. Mattie wanted to ask about this too, didn’t you Mattie?”

“Don’t drag _ me _ into this! I didn’t ask you to steal it! In fact, I told you _ not _ to!”

Matthias watched as the two brothers dissolved into a loud argument. It got louder and louder, and he was glad they were nowhere near other people. Suddenly the wind around them, which had been a gentle breeze, stilled. A glance at Mattie showed the irritation he felt, and how close to the end of his tether he was.

“ENOUGH!!” he shouted. Both looked at him, irritation evident in both their faces. “I offered to help train you, not be your babysitter. Give me the book, and if you do well today I’ll tell you what it is.”

“So you _ do _ know what’s in the book!”

“Shut up Alfred. If you keep talking I’ll kick you out and you’ll have to go back to farming.”

Alfred’s face wrinkled in distaste, but he was quiet. Matthew let out a soft breath, and the breeze began again.

“Alright. Before we try anything you have to learn basic weapons skills. To do that, you first have to pick your weapon.”

Ignoring the confusion evident on both of their faces, he pulled out a bundle of sticks, in a variety of lengths and shapes.

“It is much harder to fight with a weapon you aren’t comfortable with, and each person is comfortable with something else. Your weapons should be a reflection of yourself, an extension of yourself.”

Hesitantly Mattie reached into the pile and drew out a long stick. He waved it around a little before Matthias pulled it out of his hand and gestured to pick another. Slowly Alfred and Mattie went through the whole pile, some they discarded themselves, others Matthias discarded for them. Eventually, Mattie ended up with a medium length stick that was slightly curved. Alfred had nothing.

“Ok, Alfred since you don’t have anything I’ll just give you a shillelagh, that’s that club looking stick. I’m sure we’ll find you something. And Mattie, what you have is a wooden form of a long Albian hunting knife. These are strong and graceful if you know how to wield them right. Very deadly in the hands of masters.”

The day wore on faster than either anticipated, as Matthias taught them different stances and basic forms. Soon the sun was setting.

“That’s enough for today.” sighed Matthias, wiping the sweat off his forehead. “You both did very well.”

“Matthias. If you don’t mind me asking. What is _ your _ weapon of choice? You’ve been demonstrating with ours, but nothing else.”

In response to Matthew’s question he gave a feral grin. “My weapon is the battle ax.”

They walked home in silence, Alfred and Matthew sore from their effort, and Matthias enjoying the soft sounds of night. As they neared the village it became brighter. All three of them frowned, and Alfred rushed forward to see what was really going on. When the others caught up with him they gasped in shock. The village was on fire.

Blindly Alfred raced forward in a desperate attempt to do something, Mattie hot on his heels. After a brief pause to further evaluate the situation, Matthias ran in after them but split away from them quickly, skirting around the edge of town.

* * *

Lovino stalked the narrow hallways of The Shooting Star. He was royally pissed off, though that was not unusual. He paused briefly at the door to the cockpit, before slamming the door open and storming inside.

“Look, bastard,” he snarled. “if you even _ think _ I’m going to go through with this--”

“My _ God_. Do you even hear yourself _ Lovi_?” a sardonic voice interrupted him. “I thought you ran on money. Are you telling me now that you have _ morals _?”

“That’s not _it!_ Goddamnit Arthur - _Captain,_ whatever. Does it sound like I give a fuck?- I want the money, but do you _really_ think it’ll be all the way out here?! This is literally the fucking end of the galaxy. No civilized person would be caught dead here. It’s a literal fucking wasteland, for fuck’s sake!”

“Yes,” Arthur snapped, not once bothering to look at him. “I am perfectly aware of where I’m sailing.”

When Lovino didn’t leave he waved his hand toward the door, “You are dismissed.”

Still, Lovino didn’t move. He glowered at the back of the head of the captain. Sighing, Arthur turned away from the control panel to finally give attention to the intruder.

Lovino took him in. He was sitting in the worn chair in the worn room and yet looked like nobility. His clothes were neat: skin tight black leather pants with a cream shirt tucked in, a wide leather belt that held an array of knives and guns cinched around his waist, as well as a second belt across his chest that held even more weapons. Dark boots went about halfway up his calves, and a knife was hidden in each. Over all of this he wore a long red jacket. His face was sharp and refined, spiky blond hair framing slightly pointed ears which were pierced with a large variety of hoops and studs. Despite this, the main feature of his face was his eye. It was a sharp acidic green, almost absinthe colored. Only his left eye was visible though. A thin black rag was tied around his had to hide his right eye, so that no one would see his failure.

“What do you want?” his sharp voice brought Lovino back to the present.

“You know goddamn well what I want, you bastard--”

Arthur sighed, “I really wish you wouldn’t make your lover’s spats with Toni my problem. Deal with it. We’ll be landing soon enough, and you can have your fun then. Until then, piss the fuck off and leave me alone.”

Lovino turned with a snarl and stormed back out into the narrow halls.

A few hours later Arthur walked into the cargo bay. Antonio and Lovino looked up from opposite sides of the large room. Toni was idly running a rag over the blade of his cutlass, and Lovino was twirling his stiletto knives.

“Is it time to go boss?” asked Antonio, standing up and shoving the sword through a loop in his belt.

“Yes. We’ll be landing shortly.” Arthur gave a feral grin before turning and leaving the room. Both Lovino and Antonio wore matching smiles as they followed him toward the doors.

The ship landed in a field right on the outskirts of town. Almost as soon as they landed, a cry of alarm went up from a large encampment. Toni gave a delighted laugh and threw some firebombs into windows. Soon screams joined the shouts, and people streamed out to try and fight them. Arthur had his pistols ready and was shooting into the crowds of people. They scattered and fell around him. The fires spread, causing more people to try and flee. Romano slipped through the crowds and smoke. He ignored the chaos that Arthur and Toni enjoyed creating with a small sneer of disgust. He knew what he had to do, and _he _ didn’t need explosions to get it done. 

He walked into the encampment, quickly slitting the throat of the guard who tried to stop him. Casting a glance around, he immediately dismissed the wagons that were full of leather and grass and wood items. They weren’t what he was looking for. He was looking for something from off-planet. He saw a woman cowering in the corner of the wagon and grabbed her by her hair, pushing a blade against her throat.

“Tell me, are there any _ new _ people here?”

“I--I don’t. I don’t know--”

“Don’t lie” he snarled, pushing the blade further against her throat. “If you don’t lie I’ll make this quick and painless. Now tell me. Are. There. Any. Foreigners. Here?”

“Yes, yes.” she sobbed, “In the wagon near the center. With the red flag tied to the yoke.”

“Grazie Signora.” He smiled. She let out a choked gasp as he quickly slit her throat.

The way to the wagon was uneventful. People had seen what he’d done and avoided him, or they were busy trying to stop the fires from spreading. As he neared the wagon, he saw an old woman watching him.

“You are the one, si?”

“If by ‘the one’ you mean a person for whom you have needlessly slaughtered many people, then yes.” she snapped back with snark, “What do you want?”

“You have a gem that belongs to the Kingdoms. That and a book. Both of which the Kingdoms don’t want to fall into the wrong hands.”

She smiled lightly, “You know, you aren’t what I expected from a Kingdoms soldier.”

“Good. I’m not.”

“Then why are you here?”

“The profit. The Kingdom is desperate to get them back. And if you give them to me, I’ll make this quick and painless.”

She smiled again, but there was a bitter tint to it, “I’m afraid you will find me sorely lacking in that regard, then. I do not have them anymore. I passed them on to their true owners.”

“Bitch!!” Romano grabbed her roughly and punched her. “Who did you give them to?!”

“Someone you’ll never find.” She smiled victoriously.

“Fine then. It’s to be _ pain_.” He grabbed her hand and slowly, deliberately, broke her pinky finger. She yelped but said nothing. Romano broke her ring finger.

He would have continued until all her fingers were broken, but he was tackled to the ground. The body that had tackled him proceeded to punch and kick at him. Unfortunately for his assailant he recovered quickly. Soon the boy was trapped in a headlock with his arm twisted and a knife at his throat.

“And just who might you be?” Romano gave a predatory grin.

The boy didn’t say anything, looking at Romano in confusion. Roman pressed his knife up against his throat before noticing the cord he wore.

“What’s this, hmm?” Roman shifted the knife to draw the cord up. The pendant hung between them, resting on the knife's edge. The boy looked terrified suddenly. Just as Romano was about to kill him and be done with it, another boy, almost identical, ran into the small smoke filled clearing. He looked as if he were about to rush at Romano, but Toni grabbed him from the back. After a brief struggle, he too was restrained. Arthur caught up with them then, taking a brief look at the tableau before him he smiled.

“Good. Kill the boys and take the gem. One of them’s bound to have the book as well. Then we can finish torching this place and head back.”

“WAIT!!” another voice rang out. A tall man strode through the smoke, a battle ax glinting menacingly in his hands. “Are you fools?! You can’t kill them.”

Arthur snarled, rounding toward the new figure, “And why might that be, pray tell.”

“If you kill them you lose the affinity. I’d’ve thought you knew that.” The man gave a small grin, “Besides. I thought you wanted the book as well.” He held up the book before tucking it back into his long jacket.

“Fine.” Arthur ground out, “You know what to do, boys.”

Romano and Toni both knocked out their captives, and began to drag them toward the ship. The stranger made a move to get them, but was stopped by Arthur.

“They are ours. And you’ll leave us be if you know what’s good for you.”

He grinned, “Then I suppose it’s a good thing that I habitually act against that instinct. I’m Matthias.”

Arthur took a half pace back at this, and Matthias walked past him to the ship. Cursing his luck and his life, Arthur followed, making sure to shoot the old woman in the head and set more fires on his way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh no...stuff's happening...
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter
> 
> if you did, kudos and comments make me very happy!! Have a wonderful day everyone :D


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no excuse...sorry it's been so long guys. I hope you're still enjoying this. I really want to take it somewhere, and I shouldn't've left it so long. 
> 
> with that out of the way, I hope this is good enough for you, and I promise I'll try to keep regular updates (what with the quarantine I have a lot more time on my hands...I'll do my best to put it toward all of my unfinished stuff here)

It was dark and cold in the space ship. It was also very cramped. He had been tied up to his twin and a metal pipe in the wall and left in a corner of a big room. Periodically the air vent would shudder on and cold dry air would blow over his face. The only lights were in the floor, marking the walkways; they were dim and artificial and served no purpose but to taunt him by showing the way out. The way he couldn’t take. Alfred hated it. He was freezing, frightened, and completely out of his element. His only comfort was that Mattie had been tied up and left next to him. That didn’t change the fact that he couldn’t move except to look around the dim cavern or the fact that Matthias was gone. He had tried to save them, but they were still _ here, _ wherever here was.

Slowly, Mattie groaned and rolled over. Alfred shifted to face his twin better and waited for him to regain full consciousness.

“Ugh.” groaned Mattie, “Where are we? What happened?”

“We got knocked out...and kidnapped...and I really don’t know where we are. But we’re stuck until further notice, and I don’t think anyone’s gonna be coming for us for a long while.”

Mattie groaned again and rolled to a seated position. Blearily he looked around the dark space, trying to orient himself. Eventually, he came too fully and began to jerk at his hand ties, trying to feel around his neck. After a minute or so he slumped down next to Alfred.

“You’ve still got the necklace stone, Mattie, don’t worry about that,” said Alfred. He would’ve continued speaking, but stopped when he saw the look of concentration on Mattie’s face. He was frowning, eyes furrowed, trying to feel the air like he had those few times. Just as he began to grasp at the wisps of air the sound of footsteps distracted him. Alfred and he looked up at the slightly brawny man standing in front of them.

“_ Get up, _” he snarled, roughly grabbing both of their shoulders and untieing them from the pipe in the wall. Quickly they were propelled toward the door at the other end of the room and through the hallways to a different room, this one well lit.

“_ Here they are Capitan! _” they were presented with a flourish.

There were two men already there, Matthias was sitting in one chair, a battle-ax resting against his arm. Across from him was a shorter man, elaborately dressed and bedecked in many different weapons. His feet were resting on the table as he leaned back in his chair and let his sharp, one-eyed gaze rake over the twins.

“_ Thank you, Antonio, you may leave now, _” he said.

Their escort left and closed the door behind him.

“_ Come, sit down. _ ” he smiled, “ _ Welcome aboard. _”

Both stood confused until Matthias spoke, “He said ‘Come, sit down. Welcome aboard.’”

Cautiously, Alfred strode forward and took one of the empty seats at the table, Mattie followed quickly behind. The four of them sat in silence for a long while. Matthias seemed relaxed and content with the tension in the room, watching the Captain, who never once took his eyes off Matthew. Finally, shifting in irritation, Alfred spoke.

“Who are you? Where are we? What do you want from us? Why--”

“_ Shut up _ ” his icy voice cut through Alfred’s ramble. “_Do not speak unless spoken to. _ _ _I_ am Captain Kirkland, of The Shooting Star. It would do you well to learn some respect here. Lest something unfortunate happen. _”

At Alfred’s confused face Matthias spoke again, “he said ‘Be quiet, I’m Captain Kirkland, you’re on The Shooting Star, and if you annoy him any more he’ll kill you.”

Alfred frowned, “What? He wants us dead?!”

Matthias repeated what Alfred had said in the foreign tongue that Kirkland was speaking, to which the Captain smiled cruelly.

“_ Well, yes, that would probably be the most convenient for me. _ ” he smiled. “ _ And if you keep talking I will cut out your tongue. _”

Matthias sighed in irritation, “I should really start teaching you Baline, but Alfred do mind your tongue because it’s at risk of being cut out.”

Alfred looked about to speak again, but Mattie put his hands on Alfred’s arm to calm him. Disgruntled, he settled back into his chair. Captain Kirkland continued to observe them with his eye, not blinking. After about a minute Matthias spoke again.

“_ You need them alive, otherwise you’ll lose the Affinity, and if you lose the Affinity you don’t get any money. I’m sure you understand that it is my interest to keep them alive and out of the Kingdom’s hands. So I have to ask, how much is the bounty?” _

The Captain smirked, “_ Currently the bounty for the Affinity stone is set at 300,000 rigels. With a user and the book? I imagine I could get at least a million if I play my cards right. _”

Matthias frowned. “_You won't be getting the book any time soon. Though...t__hey’re very desperate. Tell me, aside from the money, how do you  really  feel about the Kingdoms? _”

The Captain looked sharply at Matthias, “_ That is for me to know. Why do you care anyway? _”

“_ I want to know who I’m dealing with. _ ” smiled Matthias, “ _ And if it’s all right with you, I will begin to teach the boys the common tongue. _”

“_ I don’t care what you do so long as you don’t get in my way. _ ” the Captain turned his attention back to the twins, frowning in thought. “ _ Dismissed. _”

Matthias stood, hoisted his ax, and led the twins out the door and back to the dark room they had woken up in.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this satisfied you...if you like it, comments and kudos are greatly appreciated, and I'll see you soon (hopefully)


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow... this took a while. I'm sorry guys. But hopefully the next chapter will be up soon.
> 
> warning, slightly graphic fight scene ahead. and mild panic. and death.
> 
> you have been warned.
> 
> that being said, enjoy!

“How much longer, Capitano?” Lovino didn’t bother looking up from his knives that he was listlessly polishing. They had been in transit for 60 hours now, time spent navigating the best way back to Belmire. They were avoiding the direct route, trading speed for secrecy.

Arthur huffed, and sank down into the chair across from Toni. “By my calculations, we’ve got another 50 hours left. The radars haven’t picked up any unnatural movement, so we should be alone.”

“Capitán, what are we going to do with the other two?”

“Kill them.”

“When?”

“Soon. I want to see if I can’t get any more information out of Matthias beforehand.”

* * *

“Ok, you’ve both been doing very well. Introduce yourselves.” Matthias was sprawled against a crate, seemingly at ease, but both Alfred and Matthew noticed that his ax was always unimpeded and ready for use at a moment’s notice.

Alfred cleared his throat, “Heil! Minn nafn ir Elfráðr. Ær ru yðr?”

“Góð! Ek em Matthias. Eða ær ru yðr?”

Mattie spoke now, “Ek em Matthew. Heil.”

Matthias began speaking again, and the twins followed along carefully. Matthias had been serious in his desire to teach them the common tongue, and so they were learning helpful phrases and basic conversation. Though it had only been a short while, they were both quick learners and could hold a simple conversation somewhat fluently now.

Suddenly the ship shuddered violently, throwing them and many of the crates around like marbles. Matthias stumbled to his feet and looked frantically for his ax. Alfred began looking with him, digging through the fallen crates. Matthew looked toward the entrance, where there was a lot of shouting and swearing.

Suddenly three burley, grimy men burst into the room, brandishing an odd assortment of guns and knives. Without even looking they ran at Matthew. Yelping, he flung up his arms in a futile effort to protect himself and stumbled back. But the men kept going, running toward Alfred and Matthias, who had just found his ax. The first man began to aim his pistol when Matthias whirled and cut him almost in half with his ax. Matthias began to stalk forward as the other two men backpedaled quickly, too afraid to think of using their guns. Alfred reached and grabbed the fallen pistol of the dead man and looked around the room frantically.

“They’ve got Mattie!” he shouted, voice cracking with the stress, “I can’t find him anywhere!”

At Alfred’s shout, Matthias hesitated a bit, and one of the men lunged forward, only to stumble back with a blast hole in his chest. He was dead before he hit the ground. Shaking off his momentary distraction, Matthias made quick work of the last man, before turning to Alfred.

Alfred was standing, shaking, staring at the dead man, the pistol held loosely in his grasp.

Matthias approached him carefully, and grabbed his hands, “Snap out of it Alfred. We’ve got work to do.  **Snap out of it** ! Follow me quickly now. We need to find Mattie before it’s too late.”

Matthias looked hard into Alfred’s eyes before letting him go and making his way to the door. Numbly, Alfred followed, not registering anything. In the hallway, the shouting was louder. They soon found the others, fighting viciously against the unwelcome guests.

Romano was pushing desperately against his assailant, struggling to stop the knife from slitting his throat. Antonio was dueling away two others with his sword. Arthur was nowhere to be seen.

Matthias jumped into the fray, lunging toward one of Antonio’s assailants, ax glittering in the artificial light. His target fell quickly when his leg was lopped off, and Antonio made quick work of the last one. Alfred hesitated, looking down the blood-splattered hallway before a sharp grunt from Romano caught his attention. Romano was slowly being pushed down, the knife at his throat getting dangerously close to causing serious damage. Without really thinking, Alfred raised the stolen pistol and shot again. Romano sank to the floor under the weight of the dead man.

Suddenly the door to the cockpit blew open. The last of the thugs stumbled out, clutching at his throat, face slowly going purple. Arthur stalked out, perfectly calm, with a snarl on his face. The rest of the hall fell silent, watching him. The thug fell to his knees, face a putrid shade of plum. With a soft laugh, Arthur threw a knife between his eyes. He fell with a soft thump, and the oppressive aura faded.

Toni moved to help Romano up, and Matthias sighed and leaned against the wall. Alfred still stood in numb shock, not registering what was going on around him. They all jumped in shock when they heard a low groan.

Arthur turned to the only raider still alive. He knelt down to face him and smiled softly, “So tell me. Who are you and where do you hail from?” There was no response from the man, and he continued, “If you tell me I’ll make the pain stop. You’d like that, wouldn’t you? To have no pain.”

“We...We wanted the bounty.” he groaned softly. “I’m Eron...Eron Scarred. We’re just simple pirates from the Draugluin System.”

“A bounty?” hummed Arthur

“The Kingdoms raised the bounty on the rock. Make the pain stop. Please!..please…”

Arthur sighed, “Very well.” Almost disinterestedly he took one of his knives and cut his throat.

Brushing off his clothes, which were soaked through with blood and grime, Arthur stood up. “What are you fuckers lollygagging for? Get these corpses off my ship and unhook their ship. Take what we need, and figure out what they broke! MOVE!”

Antonio and Romano scrambled to get rid of the bodies and Arthur grumbled quietly before focusing on Matthias.

“What’s wrong with him?” Arthur jerked a thumb to Alfred, who had slumped down and was sitting on the floor.

“He’s never killed before. Nor has he used a pistol. Shocked him I believe.” responded Matthias.

“Tell him to get up. Where’s the other?”

“I don’t know. Mattie disappeared.”

“Find him.” Arthur turned to attend to the incessant beeping of the ship, and fix the damage.

Matthias gently took Alfred by the elbow and lead him back into the storage bay. Matthew was standing there, looking at the three men dead on the ground. He jumped at the sound of footsteps, but relaxed when he saw that it was Matthias and Alfred.

“Mattie, could you please cover up the dead?” Matthias asked softly. “I don’t think it would be good for Alfred to see them.”

Matthew dug through some of the crates, and quickly covered the corpses with an old tarp. Matthias meanwhile sat Alfred down on a crate and settled across from him. Mattie sat next to Alfred.

As he cleaned his ax Matthias spoke, “You did well today. I know you’ve never done this before, nor had any training. But you’re alive, you’re unscathed. You’ve done well.”

“I hid! I didn’t do anything!” Mattie exploded, “I was a coward and didn’t  _ do _ anything.”

“And that’s ok. You’ve never been in this situation before. It’s ok to be scared. It’s ok to hide. You were unprepared, unarmed. You did well Matthew. I’m proud of you.

“And Alfred, I’m proud of you too. You’ve never killed before, and I know you’re in shock. I’ve been where you are. You’ll get through it. They were necessary deaths. If you hadn’t killed I would be dead. Romano would be dead. We both owe you a life debt, though I’m not sure how Romano will hold that. But you did a good thing, a heroic thing. I am proud of you, you are alive. You seem to be a natural with that pistol...I think you’ve found your weapon. And I’m so  _ very _ proud of you. I’m proud of you both.”

Matthias finished cleaning his ax and slung it back over his shoulder, “Let’s go help these pirates get rid of the dead ok.” As he passed Alfred he offered a few pats on the back, before going and grabbing the first of the dead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please comment and leave kudos? they mean a lot, and help inspire me to write.
> 
> this chapter was kinda a lot of fun to write once i figured it out so maybe the next chapter will be coming soon? who knows (i don't)
> 
> anyways, stay safe, stay healthy yall
> 
> Translations:  
Heil! Minn nafn ir Elfráðr. Ær ru yðr? -- Hello! My name is Alfred. Who are you?  
Góð! Ek em Matthias. Eða ær ru yðr? -- Good! I am Matthias. And who are you?  
Ek em Matthew. Heil -- I am Matthew. Hello


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> well this took a bit...i'm sorry. but i hope you enjoy it!

The dead were shoved without respect into the enemy spaceship. No one paid any regard to how they were laid except to ensure that they were out of the way. The two ships had attached before the thugs had forced their way into The Shooting Star. Now Antonio and Romano worked to separate the two ships without causing further damage to the already extensive list of broken parts. Matthias and Matthew scrounged the enemy ship for any useful supplies. Arthur directed everyone and attempted to patch up the broken pieces so that they wouldn’t fail immediately.

Eventually, everything that they could possibly use was stored on their ship, which was carefully detached from the other. Once the doors had been sealed shut Romano and Antonio gathered with the rest in the messroom. Arthur stood up to speak when the various alarms that had been going off suddenly shut off and the lights went dark.

“Fuck.” The dim emergency lights flickered on, casting everyone in ghastly shadow. “Toni, find the patch kit and fix any hull damage you can, Romano, help me with the wires.”

They scrambled out of the room, leaving their prisoners to sit in the dark. Finally the lights flickered back on, fortunately without the accompanying alarms. Toni, Romano, and Arthur arrived back in the room in disarray. Toni’s hair was messy, Romano’s hands were greasy, and Arthur’s jacket was ripped and stained.

“We need to get to Belmire.” Sighed Arthur, unconsciously smearing his hair with oil as he ran his hand through it. “The Star is too damaged to last past this trip without major repair.”

Matthias frowned, “What’s wrong with it, exactly?” 

Arthur arched an eyebrow, “The hull and shields are damaged badly, most of the circuits are fried. It’s about to fall apart and kill us all.”

“So why go to Belmire? Surely it would be wiser to land on a different planet?”

“I know a mechanic on Belmire. One of the best, and he knows how to keep his trap shut too.”

* * *

They landed in a backside port with a bang and clatter. The remainder of the flight had been tense and rough, and everyone was glad to be on solid land. Arthur strode out of the ship and started yelling at the people who had gathered around his ship. Alfred and Matthew huddled near Matthias and crept out of the ship, gawking in wonder at the slate skies and concrete and iron that defined the city.

Romano and Toni sat at the door of the ship, preventing anyone from entering while Arthur was away. Arthur began to stride through the crowd, gesturing impatiently for his prisoners to follow him further into the city. He moved quickly, paying now attention to the filth that covered the decrepit buildings, or the junk that lined the roads and alleyways, so thick in some places that they had to clamber over. Matthias matched his speed fairly well, almost seamlessly fitting into the rough and dirty environment. Alfred and Matthew trailed behind, caught up in the grim majesty of the city and the press of people and buildings.

After about ten minutes of weaving their way past slums and shuttered factories Arthur knocked on the door of what appeared to be an abandoned warehouse. Matthias stood off to the side, looking down the alleyway cautiously while Alfred and Matthew sat on a rusted iron beam that was left abandoned.

“What  _ is _ this place?” asked Alfred finally, after the door failed to open, “Where are we?”

Matthias sighed, “We’re in Belmire. On the planet Heillfold. I’m fairly certain we’re looking for a mechanic?  _ Is that correct, Captain _ ?”

Arthur looked up at them, “ _ What? _ ”

“ _ We’re looking for a mechanic, correct? _ ” repeated Matthias in the common tongue.

“ _ Yes. He’s competent and keeps his mouth shut. Affordable too. _ ” he turned back to the door, tapping his foot with impatience.

Just as Arthur raised his fist to bang on the door again, it slid open. A thin man stood there, holding a knife in his hand. He was cleaner than the other people they had seen here, with long gold hair tucked behind his ears and neat clothes.

“ _ What do you want? _ ” he asked, narrowing his eyes.

“ _ Where is Aldrich? _ ” responded Arthur.

“ _ Who’s asking, and why do you want to know? _ ” replied the man.

_ “I am Captain Kirkland. He’s the only mechanic I trust here. _ ”

The man sighed and looked at the rest of the party, “ _ And I suppose these vagabonds are with you as well? You might as well come and sit inside. _ ” he opened the door, and stepped aside to let them enter, closing the door quickly after Matthew, who was last, entered.

The inside of the warehouse was dim and dusty, spare parts scattered haphazardly over the space. The man led them back through the mess to a long bench set across from the stairs that led to the upper level.

“ _ Sit here. _ ” he said, gesturing to the bench, “ _ Gilbert will be back soon I imagine. He has the early shift today. _ ”

The four of them sat on the bench as the man moved up the stairs and out of view. After a few minutes, Alfred and Matthew began looking around in wonder at the building, chatting quietly to themselves. Matthias leaned back against the wall and seemed to sleep, content to wait for ‘Gilbert’ to arrive. Arthur however, began to fidget and pace. After a half hour of nothing Arthur stomped irritably up the stairs. Alfred moved to follow, but was held back by Matthias and settled back to wait.

The upper level of the warehouse was neat where the lower level was cluttered, but it was still dark and dusty. A stove and a slapdash sink stood next to each other in a corner. Two beds sat next to the stove both neatly set. Arthur paid no attention to these things, marching directly to a door which led to a separate room.

He slammed the door open, the long shadows cast by the light from the room flickering and rising up behind him. The man who had let them in jumped up from the table he was bent over and almost without thinking threw a pair of scissors at Arthur.

“Bloody--Fuck! What the bloody hell was that for!” Arthur bent to pick up the scissors, watching the man carefully.

“What was that for? What was  _ that _ for!? You come in here,  _ without permission, _ may I add, and ask what right  _ I _ have to defend myself?!”

“I haven’t even  _ done _ anything!” Arthur strode forward, grabbing the man’s collar, “ _ You’re _ the one being difficult!”

“Unhand me you imbecile! Or I  _ will _ \--”

Arthur laughed, “Will what?” the man stumbled back as Arthur spread his hands, “Do you have any idea who you’re talking to?”

The man raised a perfect eyebrow, “An asshole?”

The smirk dancing on Arthur’s face fell, “Captain Arthur Kirkland. You would do well to fear that name.”

The man looked Arthur over, “I would have expected such a well known and well feared pirate such as yourself to dress better. You look like the dirty scum of the earth.”

Arthur opened his mouth to respond, but a loud bang and shout from below startled him. The man smiled lightly, slipped past him and made his way down the stairs, “Come, Capitaine, you wanted a mechanic no?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i really enjoyed writing Arthur and Fran's interaction >.< so sue me,
> 
> also comments and kudos would be greatly appreciated!! stay safe <3

**Author's Note:**

> so i hope you've enjoyed this! if you did, please leave kudos and comments. I'd also like to give thanks to JUKKBOX for the inspiration.


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